Defiant Heir (The Heirs 3)

Deciding to just pick up where we left off before the shit hit the fan, I can only hope that my actions will win her over.Chapter 15FALLONBesides being super aware of the scars, today wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. No one approached me, and having my friends around me helped a lot.

Dinner was awkward, especially when Kao pretended like nothing had happened between us. I have no idea why he’s trying to pick up where we left of. I can’t just forget that he broke my heart.

‘Just friends, Fallon… Nothing more... It’s not like we dated… We weren’t in a relationship… We’re just going back to the way things were.’

Is that what Kao is trying to do? Save our friendship?

I shake my head because there’s no way I can pretend everything is fine and just be friends with him.

“Guys, what movie are we watching?” Jase yells from the living room.

I let out a sigh. I wish I could climb in bed but not wanting to upset my friends more than I already have, I take a deep breath and then leave the safety of my room.

When I walk into the shared space, I notice all the snacks and drinks piled on the coffee table.

Usually, I’d spread a blanket over the carpet so Kao and I can lie down. My heart mourns the loss of the special little things I used to share with him.

Jase and Mila are already comfortable on the one couch, and Jade and Hunter are on the other, leaving the three-seater couch open.

Wanting to see where everyone sits, I first go to the fridge and take out a bottle of water. While I slowly sip on the cool liquid, Hana comes down the hallway, dressed in a pair of jeans and a pretty pale pink blouse.

“Tristan called. He’s picking me up,” she explains her attire. “I’ll have to skip movie night.”

“Are the two of you dating?” Jade asks.

“Yeah, I guess so. We haven’t spoken about making it official yet,” Hana answers. She comes to give me a hug, then asks, “Will you be okay?”

“Sure,” I grin at my friend. “Enjoy your date.”

I’m happy things are starting to get serious between Hana and Tristan. My friend deserves a good man.

After Hana leaves, Kao and Noah take a seat on the last open couch, and I’m fresh out of luck when I have no choice but to sit next to Kao. I was hoping Noah would sit in the middle

Not wanting to make a scene, I lift my chin and go sit down. I press close to the armrest, leaving an open gap between Kao and me.

“What are we watching?” Noah asks.

“Fantastic Beasts,” Mila answers as she presses play on the movie.

At least my left side is facing Kao, and I don’t have to worry about the scars being visible. Pulling my legs up, I curl into the armrest, and I use my right arm to rest my head on.

I only manage to keep my eyes open for the first twenty minutes of the movie. The last thing I remember is seeing a platypus stealing stuff.

A rocking motion draws me out of my sleep, and it takes a couple of seconds for the realization to sink in that someone’s carrying me. Lifting my head, I mutter, “Is the movie over?”

“Yeah,” I hear Kao answer, and it clears the last of the sleep from my head.

My eyes pop open and come face to face with Kao’s strong jawline. Feeling awkward, the words rush from me, “Put me down.”

Kao ignores me, and it doesn’t help I make any further fuss because he turns into my room. When he sets me down on the bed, I quickly move to the side and get up.

“Please, can we talk?” Kao asks, and then he takes a seat on the edge of the bed. When he looks up, I feel the intensity of his eyes settling on me. It’s just as powerful as it’s always been, making my insides hum with awareness.

Knowing I can’t avoid him forever, I go sit on the stool by my dresser. My hand flutters self-consciously over my hair, making sure the scars are still covered.

“I’m sorry, Fallon,” Kao murmurs.

I lift my eyes to his and whisper, “It is what it is. Let’s just forget everything and move forward.”

Kao shakes his head. “I don’t want to forget, and there’s no moving forward without you.”

“It’s going to take me a while before I can be friends with you again,” I admit. If I ever manage to get to that point.

“I don’t want that either,” Kao says.

A frown begins to form on my forehead, and even though he hurt me, I still want him in my life. It pains me to say, “Then I guess the least we can do is to be civil with each other for the –”